Bhawana Somaaya

If Dadasaheb Phalke is the Godfather of Indian cinema, Baburao Patel is the Godfather of Indian film journalism.

Baburao launched India’s first film magazine Film India in 1935. It was the most popular film magazine of its time, widely appreciated for its bold stand on current issues and a scintillating style of writing. It was said that Baburao’s column made and broke careers and filmmakers dreaded his acid reviews of their films, for his comments invariably proved true at the box-office.

Son of an illustrious advocate at the Bombay High Court, Baburao could not complete his schooling due to compelling circumstances but that did not deter him from spending most of his time browsing in his father’s library at home. He had big dreams and he was unafraid to chase them. When he grew up he dropped his original surname Patil (found it too restring) and altered it to Patel little knowing that it would go on to become the most famous by-line of that era.

Not content with expressing his views through writing he forayed into film production. He wrote, produced and directed Kismet, ’29, Mahananda, Bala Joban, Maharani and Chand Ka Tukda ’32-35, Draupadi ’44, and Gwalan ’46. He was the first critic to be invited as a delegate to read a paper on Cinema and Culture, the first to voice a protest against anti-Indian productions in Europe, UK and USA.

For someone deprived of any formal education, he was not only a great orator but depicted great mastery over language and his writing did not restrict only to cinema. Baburao dabbled in various subjects and authored six books, prominent amongst which are Grey Dust and Burning Words.

He depicted keen interest in politics, and to unravel the powerful leaders, launched a national magazine, Mother India in 1960. Handling two magazines was difficult and Baburao had to take the heart breaking decision of shutting down his first publication, Film India. It was a big loss both for the reader as well as the film fraternity. The readers missed their regular dose of juicy details on show business and filmmakers who had all along criticised Baburao’s scathing columns turned complacent in the absence of an able watchdog.

As Mother India grew from strength to strength it was time for the political leaders to tighten their seat belts and live in fear of Baburao’s fiery editorials. Few people know this but Baburao became the first mainstream journalist in 1967, much before Arun Shourie and others, to be elected as the Member of Parliament.

If Baburao Patel, India’s pioneering film journalist were alive, he would be 105 years old this year. Born on 4 April 04 Rao dared to unmask the dream-merchants, a trend gradually picked up by future film glossies in the coming decades. So many years have gone by but none has been able to match his effervescence and sparkle. After all these years he remains the most powerful and prolific writer of cinema said to have written –more than 8 million words in a 30-year-old career.

As a tribute to the doyen, Baburao Patel’s widow, actress and singer Sushila Rani Patel hosts a cultural concert every year on his birth anniversary to promote new artists and felicitate distinguished personalities. Every year, a prominent gharana singer is invited to perform and a new book of a writer is released on the occasion.

Every year her disciples welcomed the guests at Girnar her residence in Pali Hill with the traditional haldi-kumkum. The concert commenced with the customary Ganesh vandana followed by the felicitation of the dignitaries with a shawl and coconut. This year’s chief guest was present Prasar Bharati head Arun Bhatnagar.

The high point of the evening is when Sushila Rani dressed in vibrant sari, full make-up and jasmine flowers in her head arrives on stage and sings in a full throated voice. In fragile health but spirit intact Sushila Rani is the life of the evening.

When the concert ended, the 90-year old hostess personally attends to every guest making sure that nobody left her abode without a meal or a token of her husband’s memory. It is to her credit that after all these years she has managed to keep the legacy of Baburao alive.

In my long career I have attended so many glamorous functions on so many occasions but somehow, this one date remains special in my calendar. Year after year April 4 is marked for Sushila Rani Patel, an extra-ordinary woman behind an extra-ordinary man.

I have often wondered how Baburao Patel would have reacted to his wife’s tribute to him. I’m sure he would feel very proud of her.

Bhawana Somaaya